Dolocucullia poolei Crabo & Hammond

Crabo, Lars G., Hammond, Paul C., Mustelin, Tomas & Wikle, David L., 2018, Six new species and one new subspecies of noctuid moths from western United States of America and Mexico (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 788, pp. 201-239 : 202-205

Dolocucullia poolei Crabo & Hammond sp. n. Figs 1-4, 7, 9, 48

Type locality.

USA, Oregon, Marion County, Salem.

Type material.

Holotype, male. USA, Oregon, [Marion County], Salem, Blk Lt Trap, 20 VII 1959, Ken Goeden. CNC. Paratypes. 18 males, 18 females. USA: California: Alameda County: Oakland, 22 VI [19]08, J. R. Pilate / ex. Coll. Wolley-Dod / ( Xylina ) dentilinea Sm. A little darker [illegible] than the female type (xd I.10. Dod) (1 m); Marin County: Mill Valley, 20 IV [19]50 / H. B. Leech Collector / Genitalia CNC slide # 17409 female (1 f); Mendocino County: Albion, 14 VIII [no year], J. Sinclair / 15-7 / ex Coll. Wolley-Dod (1 f); Laytonville, 14 VII [no year], J. Sinclair / 15-7 / C. dentilinea ex. Coll. Wolley-Dod (1 m); Monterey County: Carmel, 10 VI [19]36, E. C. Johnston (1 f); High Meadow, Carmel, 36.562°N, 121.907°W, 19 IV 1991, F. P. Sala (1 m); San Diego County: S rim of Peñasquitos Canyon, 32°55.4676'N, 117°10.209'W, 5 V 2000, T. Mustelin (1 m); Sonoma County: Petaluma, 8 VI [19]39, Wm. R. Bauer Collector (1 f); Riverside County: 7.8 km N Aguanga, Wilson Vly Pres., 33.511°, -116.879°, 701 m, 10 III 2016, UV lt., C. Schmidt, D. Wikle CNC538380 (1 m); Same label data as last / CNC538381 (1 m); Oregon: Benton County: Marys Peak, 4021 ft. [1226 m], 7 VII 1991, [no collector] / OSAC_0000164672 (1 f); Corvallis, 225 ft. [69 m], 28 VI 1995, [no collector] / OSAC_0000164718 (1 f); Huntington Drive 4 mi. [6.4 km] N Corvallis, 18 VII 2007, J.C. Miller / OSAC_0000133697 (1 f); Philomath, Blakesley Creek, 300 m, 29 VI 2000, AVZ Brower leg. / OSAC_0000133713 (1 f); same locality & collector 1 VII 2000 / OSAC_0000133690 (1 f); same locality & collector, 24 VII 2001 / OSAC_0000133715 (1 f); same locality & collector, 25 VII 2001 / OSAC_0000133680 (1 f); Philomath, Woods Creek, 100 m, 14 VII 1999, AVZ Brower leg. / OSAC_0000133709 (1 f); Clatsop County: Gronnel Rd., Elsie, 24 V 1988, [no collector] (1 m); vic. Gronnel Rd., 2 mi. [3.2 km] E. Elsie, 4 VIII [19]63, Leg. S. G. Jewett, Jr. (1 f); same locality and collector, 9 VIII [19]63 (1 f); Lane County: nr. Triangle Lake, 692 ft. [211 m], 15 VII 1997, [no collector] / OSAC_0000164674 (1 f); Lincoln County: Siletz 25 km NE, 484 m, 24 VI 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445287 & OSAC_ 0000445288 (2 m); same locality, 19 VII 2012 / OSAC_0000445292 (1 m); same locality, 23 VI 2014. OSU / OSAC_0000448088 (1 m); same locality, 22 VII 2014. OSU. / OSAC_0000448107 (1 f); Nelscott, 9 VI [no year], 0 ft [0 m], C.W. Nelson / OSAC_0000164651 (1 m); Linn County: Hwy. 20, Santiam Pass, 29 NI 1995 / OSAC_0000164662 (1 m); Marion County: same locality, date, and collector as holotype / Genitalia CNC slide # 17398 male (1 m); Polk County: Luckiamute R., 349 m, 19 VII 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445266 (1 m); Tillamook County: Coast Range, Tillamook R., 28 VI 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445111 (1 m); Coast Range, Wilson R., 682 m, 26 VI 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445118 (1 m); Coast Range, Trask R., 934 m, 30 VII 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445367 (1 f); Tillamook 30 km NE, 657 m, 18 VII 2012, [no collector] / OSAC_0000445325 (1 m). CNC, JS, LGC, OSAC.

Differential diagnosis.

Dolocucullia poolei sp. n. (Figs 1-4) is similar to Dolocucullia dentilinea (Figs 5, 6), both in habitus and structure. Since they are allopatric, specimens can be assigned to species by locality: those from California, Oregon west of the Cascade crest, and Washington are D. poolei and those from east of California and central Oregon are D. dentilinea . Both are distinguished easily from Dolocucullia minor , found in Texas, by hindwing color, white in D. minor and darker gray in the others.

Dolocucullia poolei and D. dentilinea are similar, but can usually be identified without dissection. The forewing lines of D. poolei are less distinct than those of D. dentilinea , appearing out of focus, whereas those of D. dentilinea are thin and crisp. The antemedial and postmedial lines of D. poolei are strongly zigzagged, joining once or twice across the medial area. Those of D. dentilinea are usually separate. The black spot near the tornus, conspicuous in D. poolei , is absent or small and faint in D. dentilinea , especially in males. The hindwing base is darker in D. poolei than in D. dentilinea , gray with a luteous cast in the former and nearly white in the latter. A typical D. dentilinea is shown as Figure 5; Figure 6 demonstrates an uncommonly-patterned female with fused lines and a tornal spot.

Structurally, males of D. poolei (Figure 7) and D. dentilinea (Figure 8) are similar. Both have a two-pronged clasper with medial and lateral spikes, clasper single in D. minor . Compared to D. dentilinea , D. poolei has wider valve base, more cephalad orientation of the base of the lateral ampulla spike, a shorter medial ampulla spike, and a smaller cucullus with fewer coronal setae. The width of the mid-sacculus divided by the width of the distal valve is greater than two in D. poolei (2.2-2.3), less than two in D. dentilinea (1.6-1.8). The vesicas are similar, but the left-sided diverticulum of the vesica is larger and the apical "sclerotized globule" of D. poolei is smaller than the corresponding structures of D. dentilinea .

The female corpus bursae of D. poolei (Figure 9) is slightly wider and shorter than that of D. dentilinea (Figure 10). The ratio of length to width is less than three in D. poolei , greater than that in D. dentilinea . Posterior segment A8 has convex lateral margins on each side of the ostium in D. poolei , forming a shallow “M,” but is nearly straight in D. dentilinea .

The barcodes of D. dentilinea (BOLD:AAF5239) and D. poolei (BOLD:AAF5240) differ by 8.0 %. Intraspecific variation is 1.3 % in D. dentilinea (n = 7; Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico) and 1.9 % in D. poolei (n = 11; California, Washington).

Description.

Adult.Head. Antenna of both sexes filiform, pubescent, single short cilia on anterior and posterior sides, dorsal scales sparse, very small, light gray. Scape long with anterior loose tuft, scales white, dark gray. Eye normal, surrounded densely by thin hair-like dark scales. Labial palpus scales dense, long, mixed strap-like white and hair-like dark gray, darkest laterally, longest anteriorly; apical segment short, scales mostly white. Haustellum normal. Frons scales dense, strap-like, mixed light and dark gray, forming median ridge. Dorsal head scales long, white, dark gray, lightest at antenna base and vertex, loose anterior tuft between antennae. Thorax. Dorsum, including patagium and tegula, scales long, narrow, hair-like, or apically forked, mixed white, light gray, and dark gray; appearing medium gray, darkest centrally; collar broadly striped, crested. Venter scales long, hair-like, light gray. Legs: Tibiae lacking spines; tarsal segments except terminal segment with three rows of spine-like setae. Wings: Forewing: Length 15.0-16.5 mm (males), 15.0-17.0 mm (females); elongate, length 2 × width, not strongly pointed, outer margin smoothly convex, strongest near anal angle; dorsal scales elongate, rounded, mixed white, light gray, dark gray; appearing slightly mottled medium gray, medial area posterior to cell darker; Sierra Nevada population lighter gray with contrasting dark areas; veins black, thin, Cu thick across medial area; basal line absent; antemedial line black, costa to Cu thick, indistinct, angled slightly distad, Cu to 1A+2A toothed across medial area to postmedial line, segment near posterior margin less strongly so, reaching postmedial line in some specimens; medial line black, anterior segment similar to anterior antemedial line, then obsolete; postmedial line black, thinner than antemedial line, followed by light gray in most specimens, scalloped, costal origin anterior to reniform stigma, broadly convex around stigma, then nearly straight to mid-posterior margin; subterminal line pale gray or absent, irregular, preceded by indistinct dark gray shade anteriorly and prominent ill-defined dark gray to black spot near tornus; terminal line of intervening small black spots, darkest and longest crossing CuA2 toward tornal spot; fringe light to medium gray, luteous; claviform stigma absent; orbicular stigma absent or small dark gray streak with pale halo; reniform stigma faint to moderately prominent dark gray lunule or smudge. Hindwing: ground light gray, slightly luteous, distal half darker gray; veins dark; discal spot very faint; fringe off-white, base striped yellow, gray. Abdomen - Coremata absent. Male genitalia: Uncus base and mid-section oval, distal cylindrical, arced evenly, apex with short slightly downturned spine. Juxta heart shaped, broad, height = width. Valve long, gracile, width at mid-sacculus 0.2 × length, tapered slightly to ampulla of clasper, distal half narrower, even, width 0.1 × valve length; cucullus slightly wider than adjacent valve, pointed bluntly, corona simple, ~ 20 claw-like setae; sacculus 0.4 × valve length and 0.33 × width; clasper base short, ampulla bifid with spike-like medial and lateral prongs extending dorsad from base near ventral margin, right longer than left; medial component triangular, directed dorsad and 20° distad, right process 0.6 × valve width, left process slightly shorter; lateral process length 1 × valve width, base directed distad and 30° cephalad from ventral mid-valve, apex upturned to just dorsal to valve edge; digitus absent. Phallus tubular, length 3.2 × width, bent slightly ventrad. Vesica bulbous, ~ 1.25 × as long and ~ 2.5 × as wide as phallus, bent 90° rightward and slightly ventrad at base and 90° rostrad near apex to end to right of phallus; medium-sized subbasal domed diverticulum directed ventrad and leftward from left side; larger subbasal conical diverticulum directed dorsad from dorsal surface bearing small rugose sessile transversely-oriented apical cornutus; two additional globular cornuti: moderate-size foot-shape directed rostrad from mid-vesica between distal phallus and large, complex, irregular, with flat base and perpendicular rhomboid apex from anterodorsal apex. Female genitalia: Papilla analis pad-like, blunt, lobes joined by dorsal sclerite, covered sparsely with hair-like setae, longest at base. Segment A8 length 1.8 × width, broad invagination across posterior margin, each side of ostium bursae slightly convex caudad. Posterior apophysis 0.8 × segment A8 length; anterior apophysis 0.8 × posterior apophysis. Ostium bursae funnel shaped. Ductus bursae length 1.25 × segment A8 length, tapering evenly from ostium to near mid-point, widening gradually to broad attachment to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae length 6.3 × ductus length, membranous, ovate, length 3.3 × width, blunt posterior end expanded slightly ventrad and leftward, ductus seminalis at apex.

Geographic variation.

Coastal D. poolei (Figs 1, 2) are uniform slightly bluish gray. Sierra Nevada populations (Figs 3, 4) are mottled whitish gray with contrasting dark markings. The barcodes of these populations are not significantly different. Specimens from the Sierra Nevada are excluded from the type series because of these differences.

Etymology.

The name honors Robert Poole for his work on the Noctuidae of North America. He laid the groundwork for the Dolocucullia and Plagiomimicus descriptions in this paper.

Distribution and ecology.

Dolocucullia poolei occurs near the Pacific Coast from southern California to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington (Figure 48). It is most common in the California and Oregon Coast Ranges, with records as far inland as the Oregon Cascade Range. It is restricted to the immediate coast in Washington. An apparently disjunct population occurs in the Sierra Nevada, California.

Dolocucullia poolei occurs in a variety of habitats, including conifer forest, coastal chaparral, and dry mountain chaparral. It has a long flight season, from as early as March in southern California to as late as August in the Pacific Northwest. The Sierra Nevada population flies at high elevation near timberline during mid- to late summer. Dolocucullia poolei is unusual for a noctuid in that females are collected at lights as often as males. The early stages are unknown.

Discussion.

Draudt (in Seitz 1924) named Cucullia dentilinea form mexicanus Draudt, 1924 and Cucullia emungens Draudt, 1924. The type localities for both is “Mexico.” Form mexicanus describes specimens with "rusty yellow spots" found amongst more typical Mexican specimens of D. dentilinea that had been compared by Draudt to material from Arizona and Colorado. The Mexican Draudt types are destroyed according to Poole (1995). Illustrations of both taxa have been examined in Seitz (1924) to ensure that neither name applies to the species named D. poolei herein.

The barcode difference of 8 % between D. poolei and D. dentilinea is large for congeneric noctuids, and somewhat surprising given the similarity of the adult moths.